Melittis melissophyllum cultivar xe2x80x98Royal Velvet Distinctionxe2x80x99.
The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Melittis plant, botanically known as Melittis melissophyllum, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name xe2x80x98Royal Velvet Distinctionxe2x80x99.
The new Melittis originated from a cross-pollination of two unidentified selections of Melittis melissophyllum, not patented. The new Melittis was discovered as a single plant within the progeny of the cross-pollination by the Inventor in 1996 in Oudelande, The Netherlands. Plants of the new Melittis are more compact, have larger flowers and differ from plants of the unidentified parental selections in flower color.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by divisions in Oudelande, The Netherlands since 1996, has shown that the unique features of this new Melittis are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.
Plants of the cultivar xe2x80x98Royal Velvet Distinctionxe2x80x99 have not been observed under all possible environmental and cultural conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, light intensity, daylength, irrigation amount and frequency, and/or fertilizer rate without, however, any variance in genotype.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Royal Velvet Distinctionxe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Royal Velvet Distinctionxe2x80x99 as a new and distinct cultivar:
1. Upright growth habit.
2. Relatively compact plant habit.
3. Large purple and white bi-colored flowers.
In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in Oudelande, The Netherlands, plants of the new Melittis are more compact and have larger flowers than plants of other unidentified selections of Melittis melissophyllum, not patented. In addition, plants of the new Melittis have purple and white bi-colored flowers whereas plants of the unidentified selection of Melittis melissophyllum have light pink-colored flowers.